Family
by happyboredperson
Summary: Within the hearts of the Apollo cabin, is a sun. That sun, be it a spark or a blaze, represents family. They may shine as bright as the sun, but within themselves, the sun in their hearts will shine brighter and greater than anything ever before.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does. I only own my OCs. **

**Author's Note: I apologise if this is terrible writing (in your standards), and for any possible grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes. Enjoy. **

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Elisa stood in line behind all the Hermes campers, without realising it, she was fidgeting. Fidgeting wasn't a new thing for her; she would always fidget, never able to stay in one place. Her mother would always blame it on her ADHD.

Her left foot kept tapping the grass, flattening it even more than it already was. Her fingers were bent loosely, forming the shape of a fist, rapidly tapping her small palm. Her eyes were diverted to the sky, as she tried to distract herself from the noise the Hermes cabin was making.

"_Usually campers are claimed during dinner, which is when you'll most likely be claimed," _Chiron's voice rang through her head as she recalled the tour she had received that day.

She was nervous. Despite her whole life gone without her father, there was always a small chunk of her heart reserved for him. Just like any other child, she wanted to make him proud, to be a daughter worthy of a Greek god.

She didn't go through life without a father figure either. Lance Chun had always been there for her ever since she was five, but calling him "dad" had always given her a weird feeling so she addressed him as "uncle" instead. He seemed fine with it as long as she spoke to him.

Now she was eight and just introduced into the world of Greek deities, heroes, and tales. She barely knew anything except that Zeus was king of the gods and goddesses and Hera was his wife.

Snapping out of her day dream, she ran to catch up with the Hermes children. The two co-cabin leaders, Travis and Conner, lead the way to the dining pavilion as the rest followed in single file. Walking quickly, Elisa struggled to keep up unless she ran.

The dining pavilion was a ruckus; every cabin was talking above each other. Mr D gave a scowl as he scanned the pavilion, his eyes lingering at the Dionysus table before he turned back to his Diet Coke.

Chiron stomped his hoof a few times, quieting the noise. "Today we have a new camper, welcome Elisa Huang," his voice echoed through the dining pavilion.

"Stand up," a son of Hermes whispered, nudging Elisa gently.

Slowly rising from the wooden bench, she was barely visible amongst the many heads of the Hermes table.

Almost immediately, a symbol flashed on her head. A golden lyre glowed above her, slowly rotating for everyone to see.

"High-five!" shouted the Apollo campers, as they reached over the table to high-five each other. Grins were present on their faces, glad to have a new sibling.

"All hail, Elisa Huang, daughter of Apollo, god of healing, plague, disease, music, poetry, archery, prophecy and oracles," Chiron spoke.

The campers got off their seats and bowed, as they repeated, "All hail, Elisa Huang, daughter of Apollo."

Elisa sat back down with a foolish grin on her face. She was satisfied. Sure, she didn't meet her father but at least he acknowledged her enough to claim her.

"Go over to the Apollo table," the same camper that nudged her spoke, "over there newbie."

He pointed over to the table filled with blonde haired kids with sky blue eyes not much different than hers. She walked over as quick as she could, trying to ignore the gaze of most campers.

"Yo, I'm Alex," one of her siblings greeted, flashing a wide grin.

Greetings were quickly followed by the rest of the cabin. Elisa had trouble distinguishing each camper's words and who they were spoken by.

"Shut up you brats!" Mr D spoke from his seat addressing the Apollo table. Elisa jolted from her seat by surprise, almost falling off.

"Thank you Mr D but there's no need for that tone," Chiron spoke patiently. "You may begin to line up table by table as per usual."

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><p><strong>I'm not going to go begging for reviews, but it's always nice to receive your feedback. I accept constructive criticism and will try to improve (if anyone bothers to write any) and I'm expecting tonnes of flames. XD<strong>

**Thanks for taking your time to read this. **


	2. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians which rightfully belongs to Rick Riordan. **

**A/N: I edited the lyrics out but the song is Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. Apologies in advance for any mistakes or OOC of the canon characters. Please leave a review and enjoy. **

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

"So can you play anything?" 20 year old Will Solace, head counsellor of the Apollo cabin asked, lying on the bottom bunk near the light switch, with a Beatles poster stuck on the wall hastily.

Sitting on the top bed of the bunk near the curtained window, Elisa cocked her head to the side. "Huh?"

"You know how dad is the God of music and stuff?" Alex attempted to explain, strumming his bass guitar gently.

"And poetry, medicine and, and," Eamon struggled to list the rest while tapping his chin.

"No?" Elisa replied, her legs swinging off the bunk. Her arms were resting on the smooth light brown wood of the bunk, fiddling around with her fingers. The light in her cabin reflected off her hair, lightening the brown. She inhaled air through her mouth, puffing out her cheeks, exhaling soon after.

"How much do you know about Greek mythology?" Audrey questioned the eight year old from the top bunk opposite Elisa.

"What's Greek mythology?" Elisa probed, enunciating each word slowly and carefully, pronouncing 'mythology' in syllables. Her cheeks were puffed out again as she placed her head on the wood where her arms lay.

There was a silence among them as each thought of how to break it all down to her. Never before did they have to deal with a new sibling so young nor knew nothing about Greek mythology (which wasn't mythology anymore), since pretty much camper who came, knew most or at least the basics.

If they didn't, Chiron would fill them in or they would have be sent to the Athena cabin, who never hesitated to spread their knowledge to others, unless it concerned their battle strategies, especially when getting back at the other cabins, which were most likely the Hermes campers, in particular the Stolls, and the strategy for the next Capture the Flag game.

It wasn't unusual if the camper came back out muttering quantum physics equations either.

The Apollo campers were born musicians not teachers who spewed information, (although most of them wouldn't be that bad, they just chose not to try.)

Audrey fished out her iPod from her pocket. Her finger glided on the glowing touch screen, sliding the screen down as she flicked through her large selection of music.

Elisa bobbed her head to the music, relating to a man who sailed the seas.

Her siblings took it a step further.

Will Solace hopped off and grabbed his acoustic guitar, leaning by the cabinet and strummed the melody. Alex plucked the bass of the song. Eamon jumped off from his top bunk over to the black drum set near the back of the cabin. Audrey hummed through the rest of the second verse, waiting for the right time to start the chorus.

Audrey sang. Her voice changing pitch whenever it was appropriate. Eamon rocked out on his drum kit which he had received from his father on his tenth birthday. Alex and Will's strumming changed tempo now and again as they moved around the cabin like rock stars did at concerts.

Elisa hummed along, swinging her legs and swaying her upper body in time with the bass.

As the chorus came along, they all waited in time to sing, even Elisa, who had memorised the chorus after it being sung twice, although she had gotten the timing wrong.

A loud sound was heard, disrupting the flow of the song. A loud pounding against the door was heard, again and again.

Putting down his guitar with a scowl, Will walked off to the door. Slowly opening the door, he was greeted with the face of a certain centaur.

"Chiron," Will spoke, adding hastily, "sir".

"Hello William," Chiron addressed.

Will cringed. He detested it whenever anyone but his grandparents addressed him as "William", not even his siblings or his father called him that.

"It's Will, sir," Will mumbled.

"I know you're all having fun welcoming your new sister, but," Chiron spoke, "it's time for bed. It is past curfew, I expected you to at least know that."

"Yes sir," Will answered.

"Good," Chiron nodded, "good night William and to all of you back there."

"'Night," chorused all the Apollo campers in perfect sync.

As Chiron walked off to do his routine check of all the cabins, Will closed and locked the door.

Outside, the sky had darkened while the Apollo campers had rocked out. The sky was black, littered with twinkling stars, as the bright full moon shone its moonlight down upon the strawberries by the border of Camp Half Blood. There were a few barely visible dark grey clouds as they blended in with the black of the sky.

The wind swept sharply across camp, releasing a howl as it came and went.

The waves crashed along the rocks of the beach. They rushed up a bit past the coast, only to retreat back to the safety of the sea, Poseidon's territory.

"Well you heard the man," Alex spoke before Will could articulate a word.

"Centaur, Alex, centaur," Audrey corrected.

"What's a centaur?" Elisa asked in confusion.

"Well to put it simply, a centaur is half person and half horse," Eamon shrugged.

"Like Chiron," Will specified.

"Yeah, like Chiron," Eamon continued. "Chiron was actually a trainer of heroes, you know Heracles?"

"Nope," Elisa answered, popping the 'p'.

"Haven't you watched that Disney Hercules movie?" Audrey asked.

"Don't encourage her Drey, you know it upsets the gods," Will struggled to hold back as his laughter as he remembered the time when the gods were introduced to Heracles the Disney version.

"Yeah, most inaccurate retelling, EVER," Alex spoke, emphasising the 'ever'.

"Well Zeus was so proud of him or something that he turned Chiron immortal, so he could train us," Eamon spoke with pride, as he pointed at himself with his thumb. "So that we could be heroes and save the world blah, blah, blah like Percy."

"Oh," Elisa answered.

"Well guys lights out," Will interrupted. "You all ready?"

"Wait," "give me a few minutes," and "almost" was heard among them.

Elisa tucked herself in but she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness in her heart. She missed her mother; she missed her bed and even her step father.

"What was that song called?" Elisa asked as the tune was stuck in her head.

"The Yellow Submarine," the Apollo cabin sang in response.

"By the Beatles," Eamon called from the back.

"Who are they?" Elisa asked innocently.

A loud gasp was heard.

"You've NEVER heard of them?" Audrey gasped.

"Only the best band ever," Eamon laughed.

"Uh uh," Elisa answered.

"We'll have to give you a crash course tomorrow, but for now, light's out," Will declared as he flicked off the switch. "G'night guys."

"Night," chorused the rest.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please leave a review.<strong>


	3. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is owned by Rick Riordan. I only own my OCs and that really bad song in this chapter.**

**Author's note: I apologise in advance for a boring chapter, spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes you may or may not encounter. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"Thanks dad, for everything," Elisa mumbled as she scraped the top waffle and a fresh, bright red strawberry into the fire. The fire crackled as it swallowed the waffle and strawberry, releasing a sweet aroma as it drifted away.

She felt a hand grip her shoulder, startling her until the voice spoke.

"That way," Eamon laughed as he steered her in the right direction. "The Ares kids are not ones you want to be eating breakfast with."

She took a seat besides Audrey as Eamon sat back at his usual seat in the middle of the row, facing the rest of his siblings. Their morning hunger was evident as they all dug straight in to their breakfast, not casting a second glance anywhere else.

"Remedial sword fighting class with the Ares cabin," Alex groaned. He entangled his fingers into his blonde hair, revealing his sky blue eyes.

"Tell me about it," Audrey said, rolling her eyes. "Hey Ellie, have you met any of those Ares brutes?"

"Don't think so," Elisa swallowed before speaking, barely remembering who Ares was.

_He was the God of war of something right? _She tried to recall the crash course of the 12 Olympians, given to her in song by her siblings.

"_And Athena, Goddess of Wisdom," Alex sang as the guitar was strummed by Will._

"_Oh, you don't want to mess with her," the Apollo cabin sang with the exception of Elisa, "unless you wanna' suffer her wrath."_

"_And Ares her brother, God of War is he," Will continued._

"_Don't wanna' mess with him either," echoed the Apollo cabin, "unless you want to die prematurely."_

"Good. Will, I assign you bodyguard duty," Audrey ordered in her "over-protective sister mode" which she had used a few years back, when the then 10 year old Eamon arrived.

"Hey, I'm cabin counsellor," Will smirked. "Shouldn't I be calling the shots?"

Audrey stuck out her tongue at him, as she swallowed her last waffle. "I'm second in command."

"He's still leader," Alex laughed. "'Sides he has to have the same classes as Ellie."

"Fine," Audrey surrendered, not a happy camper, this resulted in having her whole cabin to erupt in laughter.

"What do you have, Ellie?" Will questioned.

"Something with 'fighting'," Elisa answered, gulping down her cup of milk.

"Sword fighting?" Eamon asked dreading the answer.

"I think so," Elisa replied.

"Alex, Audrey body guard duty," Will said as he tried to retain his "cabin counsellor and strict older brother tone".

"Me and Will 'ave got Pegasi riding first," Eamon spoke slowly. "Then we've all got archery with Percy," he winced as he remembered the arrow flying towards him and grazing his cheek a week ago.

By now, the campers were beginning to leave the dining pavilion, the Apollo campers following suit, leaving their dishes for the nymphs to collect and for the Stolls to wash, as punishment for their latest prank on the Ares cabin.

Alex, Audrey and Elisa walked in silence to the arena for their remedial sword fighting class.

"You're late you punks," Clarisse yelled as she charged with Maimer, or what pretty much everyone at camp called, "Lamer".

"What the Hades, Clarisse?" Alex shouted as he barely managed to get away from the electric spear.

"Rule number one, always be ready," she growled.

"For Zeus's sake Clarisse, we've got an 8 year old here," Audrey said annoyed. "Do you want her hurt? And we need to get her a weapon."

"I've got a 9 year old at my cabin and she could fight better than you Apollo lot any day," Clarisse growled.

"But you can't best us in archery can you?" Alex smirked. "We're archers not fighters."

"So we're gonna' get her a weapon, so you best start without us," Audrey sang with Alex and Elisa in tow.

They sprinted off before Clarisse or her cabin could go and chase after them.

Heading towards the shed in a conversation (which was more of an argument) about the best band of all time, Elisa thought about her family back home.

After the stray dog (which was always wondering around the neighbourhood), had morphed into an over-sized black dog, called a hell-hound, she found herself running home with a bounding hound at her tail.

The hound had caught up as Elisa rounded the corner. Its paw reached out and pushed Elisa to the ground. Its claw had cut slightly into her left arm, leaving it slowly oozing blood with a slight glint of gold.

As the hound was about to finish her, an arrow pierced through the air. The arrow landed right on the hound's back. The attack didn't stop there, a series of arrows were heading straight for the hound. After the fourth, it had turned to dust.

A small amount of sticky gold liquid was poured onto her arm. A jolt of pain coursed through her body from her injury, as her skin slowly stitched itself back, leaving a scar and fresh dried up blood.

Elisa could feel a head ache coming on.

Before she knew it, she was on a plane to Long Island, United States of America, which was on pretty much the other side of the world.

"This is the armoury," Audrey pointed to a large wooden shed.

"And we're going to find you a weapon," Alex added. "And for our survival please take your time," he joked.

Elisa entered, followed by her siblings.

"Woah," she mumbled as her eyes flitted from place to place. Hanging on the wall, were various swords of different shapes and sizes. On another part of the shed were piles of metal armour and helmets. Bows and arrows littered the corner by the daggers and knives. The floor was filled with weapons of various sorts.

"Watch your step," Audrey cautioned.

"We'll pick a bow first," Alex muttered. "Were you given anything by anyone? Told by your parents it was there when you were born? Gift from dad or something?"

Elisa shook her head. "Nope."

Alex picked up a golden bow, holding it at an awkward angle, like it felt wrong to be in his hands, as if it were a sin to touch it. "Hold it. Does it feel balanced in your hands?"

Elisa took the bow warily. Her arm felt weighed down, and as she stared at the bow, it seemed to radiate an aura of, "Let me go or else."

Immediately handing it back to Alex with gulp, she answered with a "no".

"What about this one?" Audrey handed her another one. This one was a pale brown, with a gold string.

"No," Elisa answered truthfully after holding it for less than 10 seconds. All the weapons in here were giving her the creeps. She was never one for violence.

"This is gonna' be a long day," Audrey sighed.

"At least we have a reason for not going back to sword fighting," Alex shrugged.

Elisa picked up various bows and each time she did, they never felt right. Most were too heavy; others radiated dread and danger, while the rest just didn't feel right.

It really was going to be a long day, Elisa concluded.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and reviews will be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking about changing the title, but I'm not sure what. If you would like to leave any suggestions, feel free. You'll be credited (if I choose them) and greatly appreciated. <strong>


	4. Chapter Three

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does. And I don't know if a reference thing needs a disclaimer but, there is a small reference to Glee, which I do not own. **

**A/N: Sorry for the really long wait, but I had minor writer's block. I wanted to put my focus on "**By the Hermes Campers**" fanfiction for a bit, but I'll try to update this when I can. **

**Thanks to every reviewer, and person who added this story into their story alerts or favourites. I apologise for any mistakes. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

It wasn't the usual sunny, blue sky kind of weather. No, it was the opposite. Rain hailed from the grey clouds, hitting the ground like a shower of bullets. The grey clouds were compacted together, covering the afternoon sky. However, no lightning struck.

Zeus wasn't angry that day. It was just a shower of rain.

Mr. D had decided to let in the rain to water the strawberry bushes, bordering the camp.

Like it was every time Mr. D allowed rain into Camp Half Blood territory, every camper had a day off from their usual activities. And like it was every time Mr. D allowed the rain in, most campers –with the exception of some others like the Hermes campers –had decided to stay within the shelter of their cabins.

The Apollo cabin was up and awake. And today, they decided to do the traditional children of Apollo ritual for Elisa. It wasn't really a ritual, but it was just what they called it.

This tradition was really passed down onto every child of Apollo –well, _most_. Will Solace had gone through it, Audrey Carter had gone through it, Eamon Burke had gone through it. Even the Beatles had gone through it.

Whoever made this tradition however, was still a mystery.

It had been a week since Elisa's arrival. And she had settled in rather well. Her mood brightened whenever she made contact with her family, and it brought a smile to her half-siblings.

Audrey rolled over on her bunk, facing Elisa. "Hey, Elisa," she addressed.

"Yeah?" She prompted. She faced Audrey, with sky blue orbs. Wrapped in her arms, was her stuffed rabbit. The stuffed toy was white and fluffy, hence the name she had given it, "Fluffy."

"It's time for the Apollo tradition!" Eamon spoke in excitement. Eamon had had gone through the ritual back when he was ten, and this was the first time he had witnessed the Apollo tradition. It wasn't really a surprise that he was excited.

"Apollo…tradition?" She questioned. "What's Apollo tradition?" Her voice was filled with evident confusion.

"It's this ritual thing every child of Apollo goes through," Will shrugged as he explained. "Every child of Apollo is talented at something to do with the Arts." He stopped, letting it sink in. Elisa nodded. "Like Audrey is a star singer."

At that Audrey beamed with pride. "That's right!"

"Eamon's a drummer," he continued, "I'm good at a few instruments. And so on."

"Oh," she replied.

"This ritual thing, it's just to find out what your talent is really. Every cabin's got there little initia–" Will stopped, thinking of a simpler word then "initiation". "Welcome thing. Ours is finding your talent."

"Do you play any musical instruments?" Alex asked. "Piano? Guitar? Drums?"

"Nope," she answered.

"Do you want to try?" Audrey asked. "For all we know, you could be a natural!"

"Ok…" she responded slowly.

Elisa climbed down the ladder slowly, leaving Fluffy the rabbit back on her bed. By the time she had touched the carpeted ground, Audrey was already by the grand piano. She beckoned her over.

She lifted the glossy black, wooden lid, revealing the ivory keys. The piano looked as good as new, although there was a few scratches her and there, the Apollo cabin had taken good care of it. Actually, the Apollo cabin had taken such good care to all their instruments, that some campers had started calling them their children. They had just laughed and agreed.

Elisa sat down, and after Audrey said that she could begin, began to press down a few notes. She had honestly no idea what she was playing, only that the notes were clashing with each other. The result wasn't exactly a masterpiece.

"Ok…maybe _not_ the piano," she noted. "What about the guitar?"

Will beckoned her over. She took a seat beside him on his bed. He handed her his acoustic guitar gently, and showed her how to strum. She wasn't great, but she wasn't bad at it either. For the first twenty minutes, Will had taught her how to play a simple scale on the guitar.

But she knew guitar wasn't her calling.

"What about drums?" Eamon suggested. He handed her the drum sticks and showed her a simple beat. Four hits on the low tom, four on the mid toms, and four on the high tom, and finally, a crash on the "crash" cymbal.

Eamon played it at its original pace, and slowed it down for her. She couldn't play it fast, and took time for each tom.

It wasn't the drums either.

"Hmm," Audrey pondered. "Singing?"

Elisa shook her head furiously. She wasn't going to sing.

They went through several instruments, from the violin to the flute. Yet, none of them was hers.

"Maybe we should take a break," Alex suggested. "Something will come, I'm sure."

Everyone agreed. Audrey flicked on the T.V and put in a DVD. Selecting a random episode, her siblings either stayed on their beds or moved to the floor.

Elisa was bored, and had energy to kill. While her siblings were glued to the television, at times making comments, she decided to copy what the dancer was doing.

She was off in her own little world, and after many attempts, mastered the shuffle and the Crip walk. She liked the C-walk the best, because it was fun to dance. She didn't notice the eyes of her siblings, until she realised the dancer wasn't there anymore.

"We've got our own little Chang!" Audrey praised. "We've found your calling. Well you have, or something. Actually I don't know what I'm on about anymore."

Her siblings nodded in approval, their youngest sister was a dancer. Not a musician, not a singer, not a poet, not an artist, but a _dancer. _

"Twinkle toes," Alex smiled. Elisa grinned, sitting down on the floor. Her feet needed a break, and she was tired. Audrey resumed the DVD, as everyone continued watching.

"Twinkle toes," Elisa laughed.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading. Please leave a review. (:<strong>

**To **ThatOneDiabeticGirl**, thanks for the suggestions, and from reading your suggestions, I came up with some of my own. Thanks a lot. To be honest, I don't think mine are as good though. XD**

**I'm not sure which one I should use, so I thought why not ask the readers?**

**Which do you guys prefer?**

A) With the Light of the Sun

B) Footprints of the Sun

C) Songs of the Sun

**or, the title suggestions from **ThatOneDiabeticGirl?

D) United Under the Sun

E) Sunlight Running Through Our Veins

**If you would like, please leave your answer in your review. And if you would like, feel free to read,** "By the Hermes Cabin"**.** :)


	5. Chapter Four

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, it is owned by Rick Riordan. I do own my OCs. **

**A/N: **Thanks for the reviews, story alerts and favourites. I apologise for any mistakes and any problems you may have with it. Thanks again for all the support. (:

I hope you enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"So you hold the bow like this," Eamon demonstrated, holding his golden bow, it glinted when the sun's glare hit the golden wood. His fingers were curled around the wood, steadily gripping it in his hands.

Elisa fumbled around with the bow. The bow she had found in the shed. It wasn't really an exact perfect fit, but it would do for now.

During her Arts and Craft sessions, Will's girlfriend, Nyssa, had helped her in designing her bow. After all, the bond between the wielder and the weapon was the strongest, when it was made from the heart of its wielder.

It was still in its design stage. In her next Arts and Craft session, she would be able to gather the materials. With strict supervision from the Hephaestus cabin, she would be allowed to perform the least dangerous parts of the making of her bow. Those were probably handing tools over to Nyssa or Leo, or to whoever was helping her.

Eamon steadied her hands, and pointed it towards the target. Will's instructions could be heard in the near distance.

"Wait! Percy, before you fire," Will yelled, running towards him. Percy glanced towards him, and a faint, "yeah" was heard.

"If you aim it like _that, _you're going to injure someone," Will cringed, "Again."

Like every other day at Camp Half Blood, Apollo drove the sun across the sky. The blue sky had clouds raked across it, haze-like clouds painted across the sky. The winds swept itself gently over camp, giving a refreshing breeze. Occasionally, the rustle of the leaves could be heard, the sound of laughter, the cheer of the nearby volleyball game.

Camp Half Blood was just like any other camp. The only difference was its program and that, the camp, was created for demigods.

Eamon grabbed an arrow from the ground, and notched it to his own bow. His bow, like the bow of many of his siblings, was a gift from his father, Apollo. Charmed into a miniature drumstick, it was named, "Rythmos," or in English, "Rhythm."

Every drummer needed to keep a rhythm.

"Ok," he began again, "you notch the arrow…like this." He positioned the arrow; it was pointed straight at the target, between his fingers. Elisa nodded, and after a closer inspection, situated her own arrow.

"And then," he drew back his arm, and squinted. "Fire."

His position was lithe, and at just the right angle for a bulls-eye. The arrow flew, and hit dead-centre into the yellow circle in the middle. "Bulls-eye."

"Woah," Elisa was amazed.

She turned towards the target at the archery range, and squinted her left eye. She pulled back her arm. Even though she held it as securely as she could, a slight tremble made it hard for her to position it towards the target.

"Careful though," Eamon spoke, "Sometimes –it depends how far you are –you have to think about _gravity. _You know gravity? What comes up, must come down?"

Elisa nodded, "Like if you drew a face on the egg, and dropped it down a cliff. It's go _SPLAT_!"

"Yeah," he said. "So, sometimes you have to point it up a bit. When you release it, the arrow is like an arc." He did a demonstration with his hand. He moved his left hand into the shape of an arc.

"Oh," she responded. "So, like this?" She pointed her arrow straight up into the air.

Eamon let out a laugh. "No, like this."

He gently brought her arm down. "If you pointed it like that, it'd fall down right in front of you. Or if you moved, it could hit you."

"Oh, I see," she responded. "Is this the right way?"

She turned her head towards him, and cocked her head. Eamon nodded.

She let go of the arrow, as it flew like a bird. It flew in the path of an arc, but fell harmlessly onto the grass. The red tip of the arrow made contact with the grass, making a slight puncture into the earth. It collapsed a few seconds later.

The arrow would have pierced the target board, if only it landed about, ten or eleven centimetres more.

"Not bad for your first shot," Eamon praised. "Just pull back a bit more, to add some power into it. It'll fly more. Here." He handed her another arrow. She took it carefully into her hands, careful not to injure herself with the sharp tip.

"Try again," Eamon encouraged. She pulled her arm back again –a bit more this time –squinted her left eye again. She angled it at what she thought was the right angle, and released.

The arrow pierced through the air, soaring in the curve of an arc. Just like it had before. She could picture a bird as the arrow, its protruding sharp, yellow beak as the elongated red tip.

And as if time had slowed down, her arrow made contact with the board. The red tip struck the target, landing it in the ring around the bullseye. It was _so _close. She had needed to just angle the bow about a centimetre to the right, to make a bullseye.

No, it wouldn't be dead-centre, but it'd still be within the yellow circle, representing the bullseye.

A wide grin broke out on her face, showing her small, baby teeth. The yellow ribbon in her hair –that kept her hair into two high, long pigtails –was blown by the wind.

"Congrats'," he congratulated her. At this, volleys of arrows were fired. A few made it to the bullseye –no doubt they were children of Apollo –and many landed somewhere on the board. One arrow which was no doubt, Percy's arrow, hit a tree.

The dryad wasn't very happy.

Campers walked over to look at where their arrows had landed, with the exception of Percy Jackson. He on the other hand, was running for his life, as the dryad chased him.

"How was your archery lesson, squirt?" Will asked as he walked over. He eyed the second arrow she had fired, "A 9 pointer. Not bad, kid."

Elisa beamed with pride.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review, and thanks for reading. <strong>

**If you would like, feel free to read,** "By the Hermes Cabin."

**On my profile is a "**Story Information**" section thing. It might have a preview of the next chapter, information on a new story (I've got an idea but I think I'll focus on the two fanfictions first) and stuff like that. **

**Thanks again, and in my profile, is a poll. If you have a moment, please vote. Please note, "**United Under the Sun**" and "**Sunlight Running Through Our Veins**" are suggestions by **ThatOneDiabeticGirl**. All votes, reviews, story alerts and favourites are greatly appreciated. **


	6. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does. I only own my OCs.**

**A/N:** I apologise in advance for any OOCness and for any mistakes you may notice. Thanks again for the votes, reviews, story alerts and favourites. :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

Elisa felt _pain_.

She could feel her tears slowly escape from her closed eyes, and felt them trickle ever so slowly down her face. Her tears were warm and wet, as it ran down her small face. Her blue eyes were squeezed shut, squeezing tighter as she felt the pain seep into her.

As unpredictable as a sudden bolt of lightning, the pain changed in intensity. Sometimes it was weak and shallow, leisurely lapping over the water like the waves of the sea, while other times, it coursed through her as painfully as having a shock to the heart.

Her arm hurt as well.

She felt warm fingers gently curl themselves on her upper arm, as she was carefully placed onto her back. She didn't want to open her eyes.

She was scared.

She could feel herself shake from the fear. Or was it the pain? Either way, her small, lithe body trembled on the ground.

She whimpered vulnerably.

She could hear the comforting, soft words of one of her brothers. The words collided into each other, as it blended into something like a loud echo. She could barely decipher the words, barely able to focus. Despite what she heard, she felt safe, and secure, even if she could still feel the presence of fear.

But the one phrase she was able to decode from the muddle, the one phrase which comforted her the most: "_Hang in there_".

She could hear the shouts of her other brother. The commanding and brash voice, yet laced with worry, as it travelled through the crowds of people.

"Get out of the way! Audrey, get the infirmary ready!"

She could feel strong, steady arms slip themselves behind her back, cautiously and tenderly lifting her up. She could feel the warmth radiant from her brother, keeping her warm throughout the abrupt shudders, as they rippled down her spine.

A few more tears escaped from her eyes, as they trickled down her face to her brother's strong arms. She opened them; her vision was blurry, like a haze was covering her line of vision. She blinked them slowly a few more times, trying to get rid of the haze.

She looked up, turned her head slowly, and saw Will's anxious face. A frown creased his sun-kissed face, like a creased sheet of recently unfolded, once scrunched paper. He noticed her looking at him, and looked down, casting a soft gaze.

"It's OK, squirt," he comforted, not stopping on his journey to the infirmary. Eyes stared, as campers trailed. Some of them had known all too well, what it felt to feel the scorch of the sweltering, and blistering heat of the magma. Knowing all too well, what it felt to lose your footing on the rock, and the anxious feeling of trying to find something to grasp. And of course, the pain of falling off the Lava Wall.

But the fall and the magma wasn't the worst, nor was it the pain as it came in bursts. No, the worst wasn't something physical, no matter how much it hurt. The worst was what your mind could come up with, the feelings of fear and anxiety as it plagued your mind. Sometimes, at moments like this, your imagination was your worst enemy.

Campers from various cabins casted her sympathetic looks, especially those who had once been in her shoes, the campers who had once been experiencing the same thing as she was.

Elisa heard the doors of the infirmary close with a sharp, "bang". Her eyes were closed again, as she felt herself warily lowered onto one of the unoccupied, white beds of the infirmary. Currently, the only occupant was a Hermes camper, who was suffering the remnants of a fight with an angry child of Athena during a game of Capture the Flag.

He watched on curiously, as he raised himself up into an upright position. "What's going on?"

His question was answered with two words, "Lava Wall."

He nodded perceptively, going silent as he let the Apollo campers patch their youngest sibling up.

Eamon and Alex were ready with the bandages, and sling. Audrey was slowly pouring the nectar into a plastic cup, being as careful as possible with the amount. A drop over the allowed limit could _literally_ combust a demigod into mere ashes.

The food of the gods was not something to take lightly.

A warm, golden glow was emitted from Will's hand, like an aura. His mouth opened and closed, singing a lulling Greek hymn to his father. Elisa found herself falling into an endless abyss, sluggishly losing her consciousness with reality, as she drifted into the abyss.

She could faintly feel the sticky, and yet sweet nectar trickling down her throat. The nectar tasted weakly like her mother's freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. She could taste the sweet, melting chocolate, and the chewy crumbs of the cookie. She longed for more, more of her mother's cookies, but no more came.

Elisa felt like crying, not because of the pain, not because of the fear, but because she missed her mother. She had tried to be brave for her mother, promising not to cry for her while she was at Camp Half Blood. But now, she might have to break that promise.

She didn't know how much longer she could hold the tears; hold the longing of her mother's bedtime stories, her mother's smile. She didn't know how much longer she could go. It had been weeks since she had seen her in person.

Iris Messaging could provide communication with her mother, but could not satisfy her yearns of wanting to see her mother _in person_. She was reaching her breaking point.

And slowly, as Will's soft and soothing hymn echoed in her mind like a bedtime lullaby, she fell into the abyss. Like a shadow in the night with the elusive stealth of a panther, the darkness enveloped her, welcoming her into the comfort of their arms.

But she knew she was safe, she knew she was in better hands. She knew that there was nothing to be afraid of, and fell into a silent slumber.

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><p><strong>Please leave a review. <strong>

If you don't mind, please vote on my profile for which you think is a better replacement title for "Family".

Thanks again. (:


	7. Chapter Six

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does. I only own my OCs.**

**A/N:** It may not be a good chapter, in my opinion. I apologise for any mistakes and OOCness. Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Elisa made a small jump over the rock in her path.

She hummed an upbeat, jubilant sounding song to herself, a song that she had heard her half-siblings make a cover of, and a song that she had danced to.

Elisa liked to dance, she believed that, like music, there was no limits, and it was a language of its own. Like a smile, a song needs no translation, no matter the country or culture. Music could break through the language barrier, building its own bridge of sturdy notes. She thought dance was like that too.

Her arm was in a plaster cast. Will had decided that it would have been better if her broken arm healed on its own, instead of it being healed for her. He had placed it into a cast and sling, instructing her not to get it wet.

Her siblings were pre-occupied with their daily activities; about half were over at the arena, taking their remedial sword fighting class with the Ares cabin, while the rest were over at the pegasi stables with Percy.

Due to her injuries at the Lava Wall, Elisa avoided the wall as much as possible, taking the longer route if that was what it took. She never touched the wall ever again after that incident, no one blamed her.

She had the rest of the day off as well, until her arm had healed. The only activities she needed to attend were the academic classes, those to do with classes like ancient Greek, and Greek "mythology".

She leapt over a stick. Even if she could easily step around or over the obstacle, Elisa chose to jump over it. Why walk when you could jump? Jumping was much more fun.

She had another tune in her mind, another energetic song. Audrey said it was "synthpop". She filled her mouth with air, puffing out her cheeks, before letting the air escape. She crip-walked the rest of the short journey, in time with the tune she hummed.

The sand sunk under her feet, as her neon green sneakers dug into the sand. She almost lost her footing; she outstretched her arms, trying to regain her balance. When she had finally regained her balance, she sat down onto the sand.

She grabbed a handful of the yellow sand, letting it slip between the spaces of her fingers. She watched with awe, as a smile lit her face. The sound of the waves, as they crashed over the shore and struck the rocks, filled her ears.

No wonder Percy always comes here, she thought. She didn't know Percy Jackson that well, but _everyone _at Camp Half Blood knew who Percy Jackson was. When you save Olympus as the fulfiller of the Great Prophecy, given immortality by the King of the Gods himself and deny it, _and _you were a child of the Big Three, it was hard _not _to know who you were.

_Hero of Olympus. _

She closed her blue eyes, feeling the soft sand slipping between her fingers, hearing the soothing crash of the waves, and smelling the salty sea air. All she saw was the darkness, _but _as she made use of her sense of smell, touch and hearing, she could experience something she normally couldn't.

She felt a warm presence. It was too hot for the sun's rays.

She opened her eyes as quick as a heartbeat, her demigod instincts kicking into gear. She felt her heart beat faster and faster, as it pounded harder and harder. The last time she surveyed the beach – which was about ten minutes ago – she did not catch sight of anyone nearby.

But no monsters could get through the camp's protective boundaries.

As that fact sunk in, she felt her heart slow down, back to its normal pace. No monsters can get in, she reassured herself.

Footsteps were indenting the sand, leaving a trail as the man walked. His hair looked as if it were a gold shade, his eyes the same tint as his children.

He sat himself beside Elisa's figure, a smile tugged at his lips as he noticed that she was oblivious to his presence.

"Hey, squirt," he greeted, still in his teenage form. Elisa looked up slowly, deciding whether he was friend or foe.

He noticed that she hadn't said anything, only giving him a strange glance.

"I'm your dad," he smiled a smile as warm as the sun.

"…Daddy?" She questioned, cocking her head.

Letting out a loose laugh, Apollo replied, "Yeah, Sun God at your service. Haiku time!" At this, he brightened.

"The Sun God's daughter,

Sits here beside me,

I can't stay for long."

He mumbled something to himself, sounding something like, "No wait, second line was only 5 syllables. Oh! I know: 'Sits on the sand beside me'."

Elisa was at a loss for what to say, so she asked the first question on her mind. "Mummy said that you were a doctor. And you went to Stanford University, is that true?"

Apollo was shocked –not that he showed it. Normally, most of his children would bombard him with questions on why he left. And here was his youngest child, sitting there beside him, asking whether he had been to Stanford University and was a doctor.

He _had _been to Stanford University, but only to pretend to be a student and flirt with a majority of girls on campus. He hadn't actually studied there.

And he was sort of like a doctor. Did being the god of medicine count?

"You could say that," he hesitantly replied, hoping that she hadn't noticed. Luckily for him, she hadn't. "Look, I've got to go with the sun, but I'll be back. I swear on the River Styx."

At the mention of "River Styx" thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance.

He had forgotten about the time. Originally intending to only spend about five minutes, he had taken about ten. To show that he did in fact care for her, he gave her a quick hug, which she reluctantly returned. He left with an, "I'll be back," and a, "Don't drink so many soft drinks, it takes away the calcium."

He didn't lie when he said that he would be back. And he had promised on the River Styx. He would have _loved_ to stay longer, to be with his children for a while, to spend some time with them, but he had to drive the sun. He planned to be back in the evening.

"Daddy," Elisa mumbled, getting used to the word. She smiled, "Daddy, daddy, daddy."

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><p><strong>Please leave a review and thanks for reading. <strong>

As a response to a reviewer, I actually did not plan Elisa's surname to be a pun. I just wanted to give Elisa a common Chinese surname, and the first surname that popped in my head, was "Huang". Now that I think about it, it does sort of seem like it. XD

The poll on my profile will probably end on Christmas Day. However, it depends if there are any draws among the titles. And before I forget, please vote on your favourite title. :)


	8. Chapter Seven

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does.**

**A/N: **This chapter was written for Remembrance Day, which was yesterday (11th of November). Lest we forget all our fallen soldiers, who died fighting for our country. May we never forget the sacrifices they have made for us and for them to rest in peace. _One life lost, is one too many..._

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

The sun dipped down into the horizon, as it fell from its grace into the abyss. The sky was splashed with vibrant colours, painted in streaks and splotches. The sky looked as if it had been set on fire, as it wallowed gently, burning brightly.

Campers gathered, in thick crowds. Most had stayed with their half siblings, while others had spread themselves out, standing among a few others, as they huddled together.

Warm, small droplets of tears trickled down faces. Sorrowful smiles tugged at lips, as if they were recalling all the times that they had spent together, remembering the times they were among them, smiling, laughing, and crying. Some were forced, others were not. Either way, they were all sad –even Mr D, although he wouldn't show it.

"Remember when we threw a party jamming to LP?" Will Solace murmured softly to the gravestones in front of him, a regretful smile tugged at his lips. "The party of the century, wasn't it?"

A tear leaked from his tear ducts. But, he didn't wipe it away with his palm; he didn't wipe it away with his fingers, or mask it away as a yawn. No, he let them stream slowly down his face, letting them trickling down his sun-kissed face.

No one was ashamed to let their tears fall. Not even the Ares cabin were holding back their tears, or mocking and jeering snide remarks at anyone. Today, it was a special day.

It was a day for remembrance. To remember every fallen hero who had once been living among them, laughing with them, crying with them, smiling with them, celebrating with them, and sharing each other's frustrations.

The campers may not have agreed on everything, but, without hesitation, they had agreed on this day. This day was a day for peace, for reflection, for commemoration. There would be no fighting, no arguing, no mocks or jeers. If there was a war among any of the cabins, there would have be an armistice on this very day.

_A peace treaty. _

Every camper who had fallen, they were all too young. The marked stone gravestones stood in rows, as shadows were cast behind them. Each gravestone had a camper's name engraved into them, within the intricate designs. Their ages were embossed underneath, year of birth to year of death, and their immortal parent.

"Too young," Will whispered. He felt as if something had stabbed him, shattering his heart into pieces. And, each person he had known had taken a part of it with them to Elysium, the home for fallen heroes. "You were all too young."

He sank to his knees, and cried.

His cabin surrounded him. The ones who had been here long enough were crying and were filled with remorse just like Will was. The ones, who hadn't been here as long, supported their siblings, giving their thanks to their fallen siblings. Tears stained their faces.

White lilies were laid gently in front of the gravestones. Each year since the war, the Demeter cabin had grown a field of lilies and poppies, as they bordered the gravestones. The wind swayed the fields softly, as they leaned over the side, carrying the faint scent.

Alex and Audrey played the bugle in perfect sync, to The Last Post. As well as giving their appreciation, they were also giving their appreciation to the soldiers who were fighting right now, and the ones who had fallen from grace.

There was a moment of silence. The only sounds heard were the rustle of the winds, sniffs and cries, and the sound of the bugles playing The Last Post.

Elisa ran her fingers over the engravings. Her fractured arm was still in its sling, making a steady progress in its healing stage.

"Thank-you," she whispered so quietly, it was inaudible to everyone but herself. "If it weren't for you, I don't think I would be here."

A flash appeared behind Elisa, who was still running her fingers over the cold engravings.

"D-dad," Will stammered.

"Don't look so surprised, Will," Apollo spoke softly, his voice was filled with remorse. Tears threatened to fall, as his eyes glistened. "I come every year." He laid a crisp, fresh white rose with stems attached to a silk, golden ribbon which tied in a bow, on each of his children's gravestone. A tear fell.

Will nodded.

If it were any other day, they would have loved to hold a conversation with their father, to spend time with him. He was one of the few gods who had visited often –as often as the gods and goddesses did –but they had always savoured their time. However, today was not any other day.

Another flash glowed dimly from where the Apollo cabin stood. Hermes appeared by his children, as he stood by the graves of a few of his children. He flinched at each grave; a flash of pain struck him. But the most evident of them all was when he stood in front of the grave of Luke Castellan.

Flash after flash, a few Olympians and minor gods and goddesses appeared, as they stood by the gravestones of their children.

"You've done me proud," Apollo whispered to the gravestones of his children. He may not have visited as often as he should have, but like every other parent, he _loved _his children. Each one of them had left an imprint in his heart, and it struck a blow harder than being struck by Hyperion, each time one of them died.

_Artemis sat beside him on a log. His head was buried in his hands, as tears stained both his cheeks and hands. The war had just ended, but the war in his heart had not._

"_It hurts Artemis," Apollo cried softly. "It hurts."_

"_I know it does, Apollo," she comforted, she knew exactly what he was talking about. "It hurts. I've seen some of my Hunters die. It does hurt." She rubbed his back. Right now, he wasn't his usual cocky, overconfident demeanour, instead, he was as fragile as glass. One touch could crack him as much as he already had. _

_He lifted his head. "It doesn't hurt on the outside," he stated, his voice quivering. He pointed to his heart, "It hurts _here."

"_I know…" Artemis whispered sadly. "I know. Death leaves behind a shattered heart which no one can piece back together. But Apollo, you aren't no one."_

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><p><strong>Please leave a review and thanks for reading.<strong>

Feel free to read my newest fanfiction, "Steps Back in Time". The prologue may be boring, but it depends how you see it.

**Lest we forget all those who have fallen.**

**R.I.P.**


	9. Chapter Eight

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Rick Riordan does. I only own my OCs.**

**A/N: **This may be a _very_ boring chapter. Thanks a lot for all the reviews, story alerts, favourites and votes. I apologise in advance for any mistakes, OOCness, etc.

Enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

Elisa walked carefully through the workstations of the Hephaestus cabin.

"Careful there," Jake Mason said, as he lifted the wood towards his station. He grabbed a long, wooden ruler as he placed it on a flat face, marking the measurements with a long, red pencil. "What're you looking for?"

Elisa stopped and turned to face him.

"The bow wood," she answered him, curiously peering at what he was doing.

The bangs of hammers making contact with the metal were heard over and over again. The sound of the sharp, jagged saw was heard behind Elisa, as Jake made another mark with the pointy tip of his pencil.

"Which type?" He continued, putting down his pencil, and moving the ruler.

"I dunno," she answered. "Nyssa said it was yew –_I think_."

Jake made another mark with the pencil, and finally set both the ruler and pencil back onto his workstation.

"Yew, huh?" he answered. "It's near the saws, and I need to get one anyways. I'll get it for you."

Jake made his way towards the open cupboard, carefully avoiding all the heavy and dangerous equipment scattered around the cabin. His eyes caught sight of a yellowing, thick piece of paper, with the corners curled and tears on the edges. He bent down to pick it up, eyeing it. He immediately recognised the distinct design.

"Leo," he addressed, "your blueprint."

Leo set down his hammer back onto his anvil, alongside his silver piece of good quality metal.

"Yeah?"

"Blueprint," Jake answered as he handed it back to him.

"Thanks," Leo answered, placing his blueprint back onto his workstation, under a small, somewhat heavy object, before returning back to his work.

"Yew, yew, yew," Jack repeated, as Elisa tailed slowly and warily behind.

Elisa could see the smoke coming out from the fire, temporarily capturing her attention. When she was brought back down to earth, she realised that Jake was a few metres ahead of her. She tried to catch up to him, briskly walking while at the same time, being as careful as she possibly could.

She stepped carefully over a stray piece of wood.

Jake's strong arms were dragging out a smallish, smooth piece of yew wood. From where Elisa stood, her blue eyes could see the brown wood, as Jake dragged it down. At last, she could see the end, as Jake approached her with the wood he easily held in one hand.

"Here you go," he said, as he handed it gently towards her. "You know where Nyssa's station is right?"

Elisa nodded. "Thank-you."

Her mother had _always _told her that saying "thank-you" after someone helped you was polite. And she wasn't in any mood to disobey her mother, even if she was half-way around the world. She could feel her tears welling up again. But she was going to stay strong –for her siblings, for her mother and for herself. She tried to hold them back as much as she could, and let a big grin light her face.

"No problem, kiddo," Jake chuckled, as he ruffled her hair. He left towards the equipment cupboard, finding and deciding which saw he wanted.

She looked around, and noticed that everywhere she looked, it looked the same. Of course there was that slight difference, with a piece of paper jutting out on a few tables, metal on another, stacks of wood stacked neatly, while another table had several materials strewn all over the place.

She weaved around a few tables, carefully lugging the wood. She used both her hands to hold the wood, as she walked slower, trying to find Nyssa's table.

Elisa walked around another, as campers walked by her. She saw Nyssa's head by the corner of her eye. Elisa could feel her heart leap in relief.

Finally, she thought.

Advancing towards the station, she almost dropped the wood. The wood fell a bit, alarming her. Her hands fumbled, until they finally gripped the wood steadily. She let out a relieved sigh.

"Nyssa! Look, Jake helped me with the wood," she said happily. She looked as if she was in a colossal sized toy shop and had been told, "Everything here is free."

Nyssa took the load off her, and placed it gently onto the bench. "That's good."

"Yep," she chirped.

"Let's get to it," Nyssa said, as she grabbed the ruler and pencil. After Nyssa had made the markings, and had cut out the wood, she asked, "What do you want to name it?"

"Name?" Elisa cocked her head. She stood on her toes, as she barely reached the height of the workstation. Her eyes could just see the now cut-out wood.

"Yeah. Every weapon has a name," she answered her.

Elisa thought for a moment. "What about, 'Truth'?"

"Truth?" Nyssa questioned. "I think that's 'Alítheia' is Greek. Are you sure?"

"Sure," Elisa confirmed.

"Alright then," Nyssa agreed. She grabbed a stray piece of paper, which was stuck in a pile, and yanked it out. She scrawled something onto it with her pencil, only to scribble over it, and rewrite it. She handed the piece of paper to Elisa, as she looked at it.

"Greek," she said to herself.

"Do you want to carve it yourself?" Nyssa asked.

"OK," Elisa agreed, excitedly.

Nyssa pulled out a wooden stool from underneath her bench, with her foot.

"You can stand on this," she said. "I knew it'd come in handy someday." She carefully grabbed a small blade, and handed it to her. "Grip this tightly and _slowly _carve the words in, wherever you want."

"Nyssa," a voice called.

"I'll get someone to watch you. Your brother's calling for who knows what." She rolled her eyes, but _everyone_ knew that she was eager to see Will. She had just wanted to disguise it, but everyone could see easily through if they tried hard enough. And besides, it was only reasonable –they were dating after all. The Hermes cabin was responsible for making them "official."

Elisa could feel her hand shake a bit, as it nervously approached the wood. She heard Nyssa call for someone, but couldn't comprehend who it was –she was too nervous to concentrate on anything else. She glanced at the sheet again, and slowly carved the first letter onto the edge of the bow.

Soon, it became natural; her hand was no longer shaking. And a smile lit her face.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please review.<strong>

Feel free to read, "Steps Back in Time" and/or "By the Hermes Cabin." And also, if you want, please vote for Family's title.** Please note that,** "United Under the Sun" **and** "Sunlight Running Through Our Veins", **belongs to** ThatOneDiabeticGirl.

Thanks again for all the votes, reviews, story alerts and favourites. (: All are greatly appreciated.

If you would like, please read, "A Keeper's Journey", on my Fiction Press account. (:


	10. Chapter Nine

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians which rightfully belongs to Rick Riordan. I do own my OC.**

**A/N: **I'm back after a long hiatus! Sorry to all you readers who have reviewed, favourited and alerted for having made you wait for so long. I've got some things going on in my life right now, and of course, school. Those, and I've been busy monitoring my goldfish in case of a relapse and spent a lot of time on my now revived MapleStory account.

I've decided to remake the "Story Information" thing on my profile which some of you may remember. It's where I post the status of completion, previews, possible date of upload, announce any hiatuses (since it goes against the rules to post an A/N as a chapter) and other stuff. Basically, it's like a diary. I know I've mentioned the closing of Family's new title poll several times, and this time, I'm planning on closing it next month on Percy's birthday, August 18th. For certain. Please do vote if you have not yet voted. Coming back to FanFiction, it looks so different now.

Anyway, I apologise in advance for any mistakes, not up to standard, OOCness, boringness and any other problems you may have. And especially for my unannounced hiatus.

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

Elisa was back at the empty beach. Except, this time, she had snuck out at night, knowing full well the presence of the ravenous harpies lingering within the grounds of Camp Half Blood. With her knees tucked in under her chin and her arms around them, she closed her eyes and listened to the crash of the waves against the rocks. Beside her small figure, Fluffy the rabbit too faced the sea as they both sat on the wooden dock. Luckily for her, the winds breezed by and she didn't feel too cold.

It had been about two weeks since her arm had been out of the cast. She, like her siblings, healed sooner than every other demigod due to their father being Apollo and of course, some of them could mend their own injuries. It felt strange to use her once fractured arm again and would take a little getting used to before it felt normal again.

To Elisa, this night was just one of those nights when she just couldn't fall asleep no matter how many times she tossed and turned on her bed. She wondered how everyone else could cope with being so far away from their parents and just accept the life of a demigod. Elisa didn't understand how they could all slash with a sword or fire volleys of arrows with the intent of slaying monsters as if it were breathing to them. It didn't feel natural to Elisa at all.

"Hello there." The male's voice startled her, causing her heart to race in panic as she remembered that she had not brought a weapon with her. It would have been a fatal mistake if she were outside the sanctuary. She froze and cautiously turned her head to the owner of the voice. His eyes were the same as the sea she had been admiring at for a while as the pair of orbs looked down onto her face. He looked familiar, especially with those thoughtful eyes, black hair and crinkles in his face that showed he smiled often. She remembered seeing him at the stables and in her archery sessions. He was the boy who struck fear into the hearts of many when he notched an arrow to a bow.

"You're Percy, right?" Elisa asked slowly, her legs now dangling above the waters and her rabbit in arms.

"And you must be Elisa," he gave a small smile to her before returning his gaze to the sea. After a moment of silence he asked her, "What are you doing out here so late at night? It's not safe."

"Can't sleep," she mumbled quietly, looking down onto the small penguins on her flannel pyjama pants. He nodded in response, not expecting anymore as if he knew full well how it felt to be in her shoes.

"I come here a lot. It's a nice place to just think and calms me down. Don't you think?" Percy conversed. She nodded in agreement. "Before I came to camp, a lot of people thought I was a troubled kid. I mean I didn't purposely blow up the school bus, it just happened." At this, Elisa laughed, with Percy joining in. "I got expelled, detentions, suspensions, you name it. And then suddenly, my algebra teacher, Ms Dodds, turns into a fury on the day of the museum excursion and before I knew it, I was on a quest to bring back Zeus' master bolt."

Elisa wasn't quite sure why he was telling her his story but listened anyway. This was something she had never heard about as she had only heard the camp talk about him being offered immortality and saving Olympus. However, it seemed as if it was taboo to speak about the tragic war.

"I didn't know what was going on. All I knew was that I needed to get my mum back and to clear my name of something I didn't do. If it wasn't for Grover and Annabeth, I would be dead right now," he smiled to the sea as he remembered his younger days. "After the quest, I didn't get to see my mum often since I was always training for the outside world. I missed her a lot, and I often came here when I couldn't sleep." He paused. "The sea has a comforting feel to it."

Elisa could relate and finally it clicked in her mind why he was telling her this. He gave the answer to the question she always pondered about.

"But gradually, I noticed that I found another family here at camp. Everyone at camp belongs to the same family that only Camp Half Blood can give you. Even Mr D. There aren't many demigods in the world and we can relate to each other, you know what I mean? A lot of us understand the feeling of having a missing mum or dad and missing family back home. I still miss my mum while I'm here, but it feels just like a regular summer camp. Except with demigods. And trust me; summer will fly by before you know it." Percy turned to face Elisa with his trademark smile. "Being a demigod doesn't come naturally, it's something we all grow into."

Elisa registered everything into her mind, trying as hard as she could to never forget his words. He had told her something which no one had provided her the answer to as of yet. And as she listened, she couldn't believe how simple it really was.

"I hear Annabeth calling you 'Seaweed Brain' a lot," she gave him a jovial smile. "I don't believe it at all."

The only thing the son of Poseidon could do was chuckle and give her a thankful smile.

"But, how did you know?" Elisa cocked her head to the side, with Fluffy resting on her lap.

"We've all been in your shoes," Percy answered her empathetically. Standing up, he brushed off some sand which had blown onto him. Offering her a hand, he said, "It's late and those harpies really want to have some demigod meat for supper. We've been lucky they haven't found us yet. Do you want me to take you back to Cabin 7?"

Elisa could now believe that Percy Jackson really was as great of a person that everyone had said he was. Despite what Annabeth called him, she couldn't believe that he had a brain made of seaweed after this night. Her small hand made its way to his bigger, rougher hand as he gently pulled her up, taking her back to her newfound home at Camp Half Blood.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please leave a review.<strong>

I originally planned for Apollo to appear instead of Percy, but I thought the latter would be a better choice since he's been through it all. I'm not too satisfied with this chapter and I might rewrite it. Do you guys think Apollo should make an appearance soon?

I've also began a collaboration with my friend on Wattpad. The story is called "Sparks of Suspicion" and is published on my friend's account, FantasRosE. I'm not going to beg you to read it, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you do.

Thanks again for the reviews, story alerts and favourites. They really do make an author's day. (:


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